African Gourmet Robustas: A Golden Opportunity For Producers And World Consumers
A presentation
to the East African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA) convention, February 14, 2008.
Gourmet Robustas: The Situation in 2005
A presentation by Pierre E. Leblache, Founder Executive of the World Alliance of Gourmet Robustas at Tea & Coffee World Cup, Hamburg, September 11 2005.
Robustas: The Awakening Specialty Coffees?
A presentation by Pierre E. Leblache at Tea & Coffee World Cup, Singapore, 10 October 2004.
Click here to read it in English
Building One’s Image: A Ball Firmly In The Producers’ Court
By Pierre E. Leblache, published in Tea & Coffee Asia, October 2004
Robustas… Memories Of Glory
By Pierre E. Leblache, published in Tea & Coffee Asia, July 2003
The Re-Awakening Of Africa
By Pierre E. Leblache, published in Tea & Coffee Asia, July 2003
Madagascar: Africa’s Neighbor
By Pierre E. Leblache, published in Tea & Coffee Asia, April 2004
Meaningful excerpts from an article published in FORTUNE Magazine, December 4, 2002 issue, by Mr. Nicholas Stein.
While well written and well researched, Mr Stein’s article includes many unfounded judgements and much prejudice about robustas, of the kind mostly unchecked, but deemed obvious by a majority of the US and European Trade. Interestingly, it suggests all the right steps to be taken by producers, but without ever considering it could apply to robustas. Another good point of the article is that it makes ominously clear what the future holds for origins which will be unable to react and fight back.
Presentation by Pierre Leblache at the Tea and Coffee World Cup Conference September 2002
Presentation by Pierre Leblache to the Tea and Coffee World Cup Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on September 27, 2002. This is the birth certificate of the World Alliance of Gourmet Robustas.
Statement of Ted Lingle before U.S. Congress July 2002
Statement made on July 24, 2002 by Mr. Ted Lingle, Executive Director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, before the U.S. House of Representatives.
We fully recognize that, as Mr. Lingle validly mentions, the proliferation of low grade robustas in the world drags down international coffee prices to a level dangerous to the well being of millions of coffee growers and to a whole industry which relies on coffee. There is little doubt that it is only a question of time before minimum quality standards are established, under which non-qualifying coffees, mostly robustas, will be refused admission in the United States and possibly elsewhere. We therefore consider it of paramount importance that more top quality robustas should be created, developed and marketed, and that those coffees should gain acceptance in the world’s specialty markets in significant quantities. There will otherwise be no salvation in the long run for the robusta variety.
